Health status and infections in patients with symptomatic primary and secondary immunoglobulin G (IgG) deficiencies receiving intravenous IgG substitution

Background: The effects of intravenous immunoglobulin G substitution on health status and infections of patients suffering from immunoglobulin G (IgG) deficiencies should be evaluated in a prospective analysis.Methods: Patients with symptomatic primary or secondary IgG deficiencies were interviewed prior to the first IgG infusion (t0) and over the course of their treatment. The respondents rated their current health using a 100-point scale (EQ-5D-5L), ranging from 0 ('worst imaginable health') to 100 ('best imaginable health'). The patients also provided information on the frequency of infections and infections requiring antibiotics in the past 8 weeks. A control group (CG) without oncologic diseases answered the questions on an one-off basis.Results: 106 patients with a median age of 65 years (21-85 years) were investigated. The median serum IgG-concentration changed from 500 mg/dl (t0) to 772 mg/dl (t6). The mean number of infections and of infections requiring antibiotics decreased during IgG substitution significantly. The EQ-5D-5L health status improved from 57 (t0) to 68 (t6), compared to 73 in the CG.Conclusion: During the course of IgG substitution patients reported fewer and less severe infections. Their health status improved but still was inferior to the healthy CG.Previous presentationData were presented in part at the annual meeting of the German, Austrian and Swiss Societies of Hematology and Medical Oncology in Vienna, Austria, 2018.